Consumer Demand and Market Requirements for Sustainable Goat Production in Vietnam: Implications for Extension Education

Abstract

The study examined consumer demand, restaurant purchasing preferences, and market requirements for goat meat in Vietnam and discussed implications for market-oriented extension. Data were collected from 86 goat meat restaurant owners/managers and 509 consumers across ten provinces and cities in Northern and Central Vietnam. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi-square tests were used for data analysis. The goat meat consumption was strongly associated with restaurant-based dining. Significant relationships were found between consumption frequency and place of consumption (χ² = 17.476, p = 0.002) and between consumption frequency and preferred product form (χ² = 26.934, p < 0.001). More than half of consumers (54.8%) preferred processed goat meat dishes, while food safety, product origin, and traceability were identified as the most important purchasing attributes. Restaurants consumed an average of 98.8 goats per month and relied mainly on traders (67.2%) for supply. Restaurant owners preferred Vietnamese Co goats (a type of indigenous goat breed), Vietnamese crossbred goats and animals weighing 20–30 kg. The findings from this study highlight the need for market-oriented extension programmes that integrate technical husbandry training, food safety standards, market information, entrepreneurship development and value-chain linkages to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of goat production in Vietnam.